Tuesday, June 29, 1965: 'Murder in Mississippi'

Norman Rockwell's illustration accompanies Charles Morgan Jr.'s article "Southern Justice," published June 29 in Look magazine. It depicts civil rights activists Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, killed in June 1964 in Mississippi.

Background

Rockwell based his illustration on Hector Rondon Lovera's photo (often called "Aid From The Padre"), taken in June 1962 during a short-lived rebellion in Venezuela. The photo was awarded the World Press Photo of the Year for 1962 and the Pulitzer Prize in 1963.

     * Story behind the photo (from "Picture Coverage of the World: Pulitzer Prize Winning Photos," Heinz Dietrich-Fischer, 2011): @

Early on, Rockwell's illustration (intended as a two-page spread) included the three victims as well as their killers.

This is Rockwell's finished version. Look editors decided to use Rockwell's earlier sketch in the magazine, though this work (known as "Murder in Mississippi") has become the more well-known of the two.

Resources
* Summary from Norman Rockwell Museum: @ (related reference materials can be found on the museum's website by searching for "Murder in Mississippi")
* Text of "Southern Justice" (from Norman Rockwell Museum): @

* "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell" (2007): @

* "Rockwell & Race" (The Pop History Dig): @

* Earlier post on Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner (June 1964): @

* Earlier post on Rockwell's "The Problem We All Live With" (January 1964): @

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